Chandrayaan-2: Final Lunar Orbital Manoeuvre achieved, Vikram Lander released

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)issued an update on Sunday, September 1 which stated that the Chandrayaan 2 has successfully performed the fifth and final lunar orbital manoeuvre. Now, the organisation has released its lunar lander Vikram today, September 2. ISRO said that all spacecraft parameters are normal, and it is currently in the lunar orbit for its rendezvous with the Moon. 

ISRO took to Twitter and wrote, “The final and fifth Lunar bound orbit manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully today [September 1] beginning at 1821 hrs IST as planned, using the onboard propulsion system. The duration of the manoeuvre was 52 seconds. The orbit achieved is 119km x 127km.” 

#ISRO The final and fifth Lunar bound orbit maneuver for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was performed successfully today (September 01, 2019) at 1821 hrs IST. For details please visit https://t.co/0gic3srJx3 pic.twitter.com/0Mlk4tbB3G

— ISRO (@isro) 1 September 2019

Today, Vikram, the lander, and Pragyan (rover), were successfully separated from the orbiter. Now Chandrayaan-2 is in its last and most crucial leg, the actual Moon landing. Vikram is expected to touchdown on September 7 between 1:30am and 2:30am. 

"Vikram successfully separated from Chandrayaan-2 orbiter at 1.15pm. The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter continues to orbit the Moon in its existing orbit. The health of the orbiter and lander is being monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at Isro Telemetry, , Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Bylalu, near Bengaluru," Isro said. 

The next maneuver is scheduled between 8:45am and 9:45am on September 3. 

The tentative plan for the upcoming Chandrayaan-2 operations is: 

Deorbit 1: September 3 at 09:00 - 10:00 IST. The orbit achieved will be 109 km x 120 km Deorbit 2: September 4 at 03:00 - 04:00 IST. The orbit achieved will be 36 km x 110 km Powered Descent: September 7 Vikram Touch Down: September 7 at 01:30 - 02:30 IST

To recall, the lander has been named after the father of Indian space research programme Vikram A Sarabhai.

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Airtel Xstream Box, Xstream Stick launched in India for Rs 3,999: All you need to know

We recently reported that Airtel could be taking on Reliance Jio with its own new entertainment devices. Now, the news is finally official as Airtel has launched its Xstream Stick and Xstream Box in the country. The Airtel Xstream Stick is basically a competitor to the Amazon Fire TV Stick. It runs on Android 8.0 Oreo and is an OTT stick that can be connected to any TV. As for the Airtel Xstream Box, it is a 4K “Hybrid Box” that runs on Android 9 Pie and delivers satellite TV and OTT content together. Both the devices are priced at Rs 3,999 but existing Airtel Digital TV customers can upgrade to the Airtel Xstream Box for Rs 2,249.

Airtel Xstream Stick

As mentioned earlier, the Airtel Xstream Stick runs on Android 8 and can be plugged into any TV that has an HDMI port. The device comes with a single subscription plan, which will enable users to access over 10,000 movies and shows from top OTT content partners like ZEE5, Hooq, Hoi Choi, Eros Now, HungamaPlay, ShemarooMe, Ultra and Curiosity Stream, along with songs from the Wynk Music library. It also comes with Google Play Store support, which means one can download apps on it like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, among others.  

The Airtel Xstream Stick is powered by an unnamed 1.6 GHz processor, which was previously reported to be the HiSilicon Hi3798M V300 quad-core SoC. It comes with built-in Chromecast and it can be controlled via a remote as well. The remote also has a dedicated button to enable voice search and it operates on Bluetooth 4.2. While the device is priced at Rs 3,999, Airtel Thanks Platinum and Gold customers will get complimentary access to the content subscription plan on Airtel Xstream Stick. Other users can experience the additional content on it for 30 days for free but they can subscribe to it for Rs 999 annually. The Airtel Xstream Stick will be available online via Flipkart, airtel.in and offline via Airtel retail stores, and from retail chains like Croma and Vijay Sales.

Airtel Xstream Box

The Airtel Xstream Box is a 4K Hybrid Box that is said to bring satellite TV and OTT content together. It is powered by Android 9.0, features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, supports Chromecast and is touted to deliver over 500 TV channels to watch from. The device comes preinstalled with several apps like the Airtel Xstream app, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Airtel Store. There’s also a universal remote with it that features Google Assistant based voice search and dedicated buttons for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. 

The Airtel Xstream Box is priced at Rs 3,999 and it comes with a one-year free subscription to all Airtel Xstream app content, along with one month of subscription to an HD DTH pack. As mentioned earlier, existing Airtel Digital TV customers can upgrade to Airtel Xstream Box by paying Rs 2,249. The device is now available via Flipkart, Amazon, airtel.in and from offline Airtel retail stores, Croma and Vijay Sales. 

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Oppos upcoming smartphone will sport a display with 90Hz refresh rate

Oppo recently launched its Reno2 series of smartphones in India that consist of the Oppo Reno2, Reno2 Z and the Reno2 F. Now, the company is gearing up to introduce these handsets in China on September 10. However, it seems like Oppo will also launch another handset that will get a feature most gaming phones come equipped with. The company’s vice president Shen Yiren has revealed that a handset wiṭh a 90Hz refresh rate is in the works. While there’s no information on which Oppo this is, Yiren confirms that it is not the Oppo Reno2 series of handsets and since the devices are already available in India, we know their specs and that there's no variant of the phone with a 90Hz display refresh rate. 

High refresh rates display panels are becoming more common in phones these days. However, the tech is currently reserved for flagship phones or gaming smartphones, which are essentially flagships with the latest hardware but are built and marketed to appeal to mobile gamers. The OnePlus 7 Pro features a 90Hz refresh rate for the display, while gaming-centric phones like Asus ROG phone gets a display panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Even though companies are integrating high refresh rate displays on their devices, the fact remains that there are few to no apps that can make use of it. For example, PUBG Mobile can touch a maximum of 60fps on high-end phones. 

Even if one does get a handset with higher refresh rate, let’s say 120Hz, there’s almost always an option to tone it down to 90 or 60Hz. In most cases, the smartphone itself will ramp up or dial down the screen’s refresh rate to conserve battery. When we tested the 90Hz display of the OnePlus 7 Pro, we noted that the high refresh rate is not really noticeable while gaming or watching videos. It is most apparent while using the handset and going through the UI, which seemed more fluid with smoother animations and transitions. You can read more on how we tested OnePlus 7 Pro’s 90Hz display here. 

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Google quietly adds UPI payment method in Google Play Store

Since its inception in 2016, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has gradually been adopted by many Indian apps and services as one of the approved payment methods, including Google's own digital payment app Google Pay (previously Google Tez). Joining the game somewhat late is the Google Play Store as apps and games on the popular app store for Android devices can now be purchased through UPI. It appears that Google has added support for UPI on Play Store without publishing so much as a short blog post, earlier this weekend.

To get started with UPI payments on Google Play Store, you need not install or download anything special. In the Play Store app, swipe right from the extreme edge on the left to bring up the hamburger menu. Find the list item ‘Payment methods’ and select it. If the Play Store app on your Android device is version 16.3.36 or later, you should see the option to “Add bank account with BHIM UPI ID” under Add payment method.

Select the option to enter your UPI ID, which is usually in the following format: username@bankname. It is also known as VPA (Virtual Payment Address). If you've already got a UPI ID generated by your Google Pay app, then the Google Account linked to it must be the one you use in Google Play Store for UPI registration. Otherwise, expect to see an error pop up. Once you have verified your UPI ID, you should be able to use it for future payments within the Google Play Store. This includes apps, games, and subscriptions.

Started in April 2016 and revised a year ago by the National Payments Corporation of India, UPI is an instant payment system for inter-bank transactions. As of March 2019, 142 banks across the country support UPI as an approved payment method. Both iOS and Android devices have numerous digital payment apps that support UPI, such as BHIM, PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay. You can learn more about UPI here.

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Google adds an out of office feature to Gmail and Hangouts

Google is making things easier for you if you are out of office. If you are a Gsuite member, you can now mark ‘out of office’ on your Google Calendar and that will inform people reaching out to you even before they send an email or ping on Hangouts.

The new feature is available on Gmail and Hangouts. In Gmail and Hangouts, a banner that is positioned right in the compose window or the chat window respectively, will tell the user is out of office. The banner states the recipient is out of office and will back on so and so day and date. The banner comes right after you enter the recipients name on the compose window or if you open their chat.

The new feature is essentially to help you get more uninterrupted time away from work, while for a sender, it will be helpful for them to know the person they’re messaging is not there to reply.

The feature is being rolled out in phases to users. It will first hit instant mails and then come to scheduled emails as well. The feature was first announced at Google’s Cloud Next 2019 conference in April, as part of multiple new features announced for Gsuite users.

Hangouts is still on its death knell though. But Google has pushed the deadline to June 2020. Earlier in 2017, Google had announced it will be breaking Hangouts into two apps — Meet and Chat. Google first said they will be transitioning Gsuite users to the two apps and then the classic Hangouts users will be transitioned. However, later Google backtracked and said that on the basis of feedback from users, the transition will be postponed to June 2020.

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Nokia 81, Nokia 8110 4G receive price cut in India ahead of IFA 2019 Berlin event

Nokia is holding an event at the upcoming IFA 2019 trade show that will take place in Berlin from September 6 to September 11. While the company is expected to announce a couple of new smartphones at the event, it has officially discounted some of its existing handsets ahead of the event. The price of the Nokia 8.1 has been slashed again, along with the Nokia 8810 4G. The Nokia 8.1 was previously available starting at Rs 19,999 and now, after the price cut, it can be purchased starting at Rs 15,999. On the other hand, the Nokia 8810 4G is now available with a Rs 1,000 discount and is priced at Rs 2,999. 

The Nokia 8.1 comes in two variants and the above-mentioned price is for its 4GB RAM variant. The 6GB version of the handset has not received any discounts and is still priced at Rs 22,999. As for the specs of the Nokia 8.1, it is made out of a single block of Series 6000 aluminium with dual-tone diamond-cut edges. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC that is paired with 4GB + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB of internal storage. It is backed by a 3500 mAh battery and runs on stock Android OS. Equipped with a 6.18-inch full-HD+ display that supports HDR 10. The phone also has a fingerprint sensor on the back. 

As for the Nokia 8810 4G, it is a smart feature phone that runs on KaiOS and supports 4G VoLTE for calling. The handset also comes with its own app store that gives users access to Google Assistant, Facebook, Google Maps, Twitter and more. The Nokia 8810 4G was announced for Rs 5,999 but the handset later received a price cut and was made available for Rs 3,999. With the laṭest price reduction, it can be bought for Rs 2,999. Do note that the discounted pricing of the two Nokia handsets is being reflected on ṭhe official Nokia India online store. 

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Moto One Action available via open sale in India: Price, specifications, where to buy and everything you need to know

If you are looking to pick up a Moto One Action, then there is good news for you. The smartphone, which was available via a flash sale, is now available via open sale. The Moto One Action is available in two colours - Denim Blue and Pearl White. Coming to the specifications of the device, the Moto One Action has a 6.3-inch Full HD+ LCD display with a resolution of 1080x2520. The reason the resolution looks a little odd is that it has a 21:9 aspect ratio. The company is calling it a CinemaAction display. Like Samsung’s flagship devices, the Moto One Action has a punch-hole camera in the top left corner for selfies. Under the hood, the One Action is powered by an octa-core Samsung Exynos 9609 processor clocked at 2.2 GHz. The smartphone also has 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. The storage is expandable via a microSD card. The endangered 3.5mm audio jack is also present on the device. It also houses a bottom-firing speaker. The phone runs on Android Pie and is an Android One device. The phone also comes with Moto Actions like twist to open the camera and chop to turn the flash on, so on and so forth.

At the back, the Motorola One Action has a triple camera setup. It has a 12MP+5MP camera for clicking photos and a dedicated 16MP camera for video recording. On the front of the smartphone, there is a 12MP selfie shooter. A 3500mAh battery powers the entire package and it also supports 10W fast charging. 

As of writing this article, the smartphone is available on Flipkart for Rs 13999. 

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